Maxwell Frost: “it has been over 2\1/2\ years since terrorists commandeered four airplanes and killed 3,000 people in New York…”

“it has been over 2\1/2\ years since terrorists commandeered four airplanes and killed 3,000 people in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. The events of September 11, 2001, made it abundantly clear that the United States is not immune from attack. But I am deeply concerned that for most Members of the House that day did not make a deep enough impression about what might happen if this institution or its Members were successfully targeted by terrorists or other enemies of our democracy. United Flight 93 was headed here. Had it not been for the brave souls on that plane who fought the terrorists who took over their flight, this very building could have been destroyed. Had Flight 93 not been taken down in the field in Pennsylvania, a large number of Members might have been killed. On September 11, 2001, we did not have a procedure in place to reconstitute this body. And on April 22, 2004, we still lack such a plan. I am sad to say, Mr. Speaker, that the bill before us today does not give us a viable plan. And the manner in which this bill is being brought to the floor does a disservice to the very serious issue of continuity of government. The very fact that the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary has chosen to push this remedy to the exclusion of any other idea shows that the leadership of this House has chosen to make this a partisan issue. And the stability of our government and its institutions should not now, or ever, become a partisan issue.…”